"JSON Parsing ending with unexpected character" when using DeserializeJSON on JSON.stingify value

Question

My application contains multiple <input type="file"> fields and I need to save the file paths. I am converting the paths into a JSON string and sending the result to a ColdFusion CFC method. On the ColdFusion side I am deserializing the JSON string using DeserializeJSON(), but am getting an error:

JSON Parsing ending with unexpected character

.

I had the same issue when passing a serialized FORM structure into a ColdFusion page. I fixed it by URL encoding the value with URLEncodedFormat(). Would url encoding the above JSON string fix this issue or is my code for passing the file paths as a JSON string incorrect?

My client side code is below:

var lttr_docs = {};
for(i=1;i<length;i++)
{
    lttr_docs['file_id_'+i] = $('#file_id_'+i).val();
}

$.ajax({
    url: "xyz/component.cfc?method=methodName",
    type: "GET",
    dataType:"json",
    data: JSON.stingify(lttr_docs),
    success: function(res)        {
    },
    error: function(jqXHR, textStatus, errorThrown) {
        alert(textStatus);                
    }
});

Basically the problem is while desrializing the JSON string in server side. Can I do some thing on client side to fix this or do I need to completely rely on a server side fix?

T.J. Crowder · Accepted Answer · 2014-06-18 17:37:36Z

1

dataType is not for telling the server what kind of data you're sending it, even though data is for the data you're sending; it's just one of the flaws in the jQuery API. Counter-intuitively, dataType is for telling jQuery what kind of data you expect back. So dataType: "json" is probably wrong. Instead, you want contentType: "application/json".

So your GET is getting sent to the server with the default application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=UTF-8 content type, which is probably confusing it.

Separately, as Rocket Hazmat points out in a comment below, specifying the content type on a GET is a bit fishy. You probably want to change this to a POST (both in the client code and the server code processing it).

answered Jun 18, 2014 at 17:37

T.J. Crowder

1.1m201 gold badges2k silver badges2k bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

2 Comments

gen_Eric Over a year ago

Can you use contentType with a GET request?

T.J. Crowder Over a year ago

@RocketHazmat: Good catch, I didn't notice until adding the second paragraph it was a GET. I don't think you can, no, but I don't use GET for sending data to servers so I don't know the ins and outs of it... I'll add a note.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

"JSON Parsing ending with unexpected character" when using DeserializeJSON on JSON.stingify value

1 Answer 1

2 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related